Results for "Contemporary Classical"

Michael William Gilbert

Born: August 17, 1954

Michael William Gilbert's musical journey has transcended boundaries from an early age. Growing up between Connecticut and Brussels, his ears were opened to the avant-garde experimentalism of Varese, Stockhausen, and Pierre Henry, as well as the rich tapestries of Indian, African, and Japanese traditions. But it was his immersion in Miles Davis' pioneering electric period that truly sparked his passion for melding jazz and electronic frontiers.

After studying electrical engineering at MIT and electronic music at the Boston School of Electronic Music, Gilbert's talents as a synthesizer composer, designer, and teacher took root. He served as technical director of electronic music studios at Amherst College, Smith College, Hampshire College, and UMass/Amherst. Over his career he has experience teaching electronic music at UMass Amherst, Holyoke Community College, and Hampshire College. In parallel, he had a nearly 30-year career as the Adviser for Technology Initiatives and Services at UMass Amherst before retiring to focus full-time on music.

Michael A Levy

Born: July 2, 1948

My early musical influesnes were entirely classical. Primarily Chopin. Actually, my mom taught me my first stride bass tune, St.Louis  Blues. In my teens I started playing in bands and acquired copies of the then “illegal” fake books. The world of standards opened up and I learned lots of them, comping basic chords in  my left hand. 

Around 15 I became exposed to the jazz genre. Miles, Monk, Brubeck, MJQ. Those sounds became my jazz foundation. I tried to improvise but it was unguided and not very adventurous. Of course I listened to a lot of lesser luminaries, but still great… Horace Silver, Yusef Lateef, Ahmad Jamal, Ravi Shankar, etc. 

Milen Kirov

Described as a “pianist with superhuman coordination,” Dr. Milen Kirov is an award-winning Bulgarian- American performer, composer, and educator with an inimitable artistic voice and celebrated creative output. His career redefines the role of the performer-composer in 21st century by transcending genres, labels, and artistic boundaries. Combining his Bulgarian music heritage and concert pianist background with contemporary composition, jazz, world music, and improvisation, Dr. Kirov has carved a thriving career as a unique and respected artist.

Milen Kirov has won awards from the Bulgarian National Radio Composition Competition; Bulgarian National Music Competition “Sv

Yasmin Tal

Composer, pianist, music director, and music educator Yasmin Tal explores community through music.

Her projects include performances of orchestral, chamber, choral, and solo music along with compositions for film, dance, electro-acoustic, and sound installations; in recent years she has developed a unique style of performing based on unusual notation, audience participation and energetic, risk-taking sound.

Yasmin earned her B.Mus and M.mus in Composition from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, while also completing a B.A. in Linguistics and East Asian studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Colin Hinton

Born: July 19, 1988

Colin Hinton is an active member of Brooklyn’s creative music community. A drummer, percussionist, and composer, his music draws from the jazz and free music traditions of Henry Threadgill, Anthony Braxton, and Muhal Richard Abrams, as well as 20th century classical composers Bartók, Ligeti, Feldman, and Grisey. He has performed in the US, Canada, Central and South America, and Asia, and has had his compositions performed in the US, Italy, and Canada. An active educator in the NYC area, Colin has taught at the City College of New York, numerous music academies, and has many private students. Hinton studied drums with Ed Soph, Tyshawn Sorey, Dan Weiss, Ralph Peterson, and Ari Hoenig, and composition with Ingrid Laubrock, Tyshawn Sorey, and Eric Wubbels

Michael Robinson

Born: March 11, 1956

Michael Robinson is a Los Angeles-based composer, programmer, pianist and musicologist. He voices and colors his compositions with instrumental timbres and scale tunings from diverse world music cultures including India, Africa, the Near East, Japan, China, Korea, Bali, Java, Cuba, Brazil, Australia, Europe, North America and Southeast Asia. He composes using traditional Western notation and programs a computer and electronic sound module to perform his music in real time without overdubbing.

"I'm interested in discovering and liberating the expressive quality - the essence - of computer- performed music. I want this music to emanate from the computer in the same way other sounds emanate in nature, like wind and water." (Michael Robinson quoted in Keyboard)

Rodrigo Faina

Born: October 13, 1976

Rodrigo Faina is a composer and bandleader whose music often transcends conventional and outdated genre distinctions. An alchemist, able to blend the techniques of new music and the traditions of jazz, tango and other popular genres into a lush, progressive and evocative sound-world distinctively of his own. The unpredictable and adventurous nature of his musical output places him in a particular position within the contemporary music landscape, and has earned him the respect and admiration of the international music scene’s key figures, but at the same time, brings him in conflict with both: the avant-garde and conceptualist classical composers. Rodrigo’s music draws inspiration from literature, social inequality and abstract images, and his aim is to develop and renew musical heritage and traditions without losing the connection with the emotional, expressive and spiritual aspects of music. Rodrigo’s music has been performed in prestigious venues such as the Kölner Philharmonie, WDR Funkhaus Köln, De Doelen and Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ. He has collaborated with renowned ensembles, soloists and conductors from Europe and the United States, such as Asko|Schönberg Ensemble, DoelenEnsemble, Metropole Orchestra, Zapp4, Nederlands Blazers Ensemble, David Kweksilber Big Band, Bulgaria National Radio Symphony, Platypus Ensemble, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Vince Mendoza, Etienne Siebens, Bas Wiegers and Claron McFadden among others. Rodrigo studied musical composition with Paul van Brugge and Klaas de Vries at the Rotterdam Conservatory, where he obtained his Bachelor and Master’s degrees with honours

Mike Schwebke

Born: March 30, 1991

Mike Schwebke is an Illinois-based recording and performing artist on steelpan and percussion. He studied steelpan and percussion at Northern Illinois University under Liam Teague, Cliff Alexis, Robert Chappell, Mike Mixtacki and Dr. Greg Byer. While at NIU Mike played in the NIU Latin Jazz Ensemble, NIU Bata trio, several classical ensembles, and the internationally renowned NIU World Steelband. Mike is also an active educator and clinician working internationally on different projects. In Illinois, he has students of steelpan, drumset and percussion. He has taught drumset classes at the Triple Threat Mentoring Organization and currently directs Oswego High School's Marching Percussion with Aaron Spevak

Gustavo Casenave

Born: November 10, 1971

Gustavo Casenave, an esteemed Uruguayan/American pianist and composer, has made remarkable contributions to the music industry throughout his career. As a distinguished Three-Time Grammy Award winner, his exceptional talent and outstanding work have been recognized with the highest honor. He secured the prestigious Grammy titles of "Best Latin Jazz Album" (as a producer) in 2023, "Best Tango Album" in 2020, and "Best Instrumental Album" in 2019, showcasing his remarkable ability to create compositions that resonate with audiences worldwide. Alongside his Grammy wins, Casenave has received six Latin Grammy nominations, including three nods in the highly regarded "Best Contemporary Classical Composition" category.

Mateusz Smoczyński

Born: March 6, 1984

Mateusz Smoczyński is a distinguished Polish violinist, composer, and bandleader renowned for his versatility across various musical genres. He is a co-founder of the Atom String Quartet and New Trio, leads a quintet, and performs in a duo with cellist Stephan Braun.

Smoczyński has performed on prominent stages worldwide, both as a soloist and with diverse ensembles, collaborating with acclaimed artists such as Branford Marsalis, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Markus Stockhausen, Paquito D’Rivera, Tomasz Stańko, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Bobby McFerrin, Anna Maria Jopek, Leszek Możdżer, and the NDR Big Band. As soloist he performed with leading Polish orchestras.